A24 has released the first trailer and poster for Paul Schrader’s highly-acclaimed thriller First Reformed. Having its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at Telluride and Toronto, the film stars Ethan Hawke in what is being regarded as one of his best performances.
First Reformed centers around Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence.
Check out the trailer for First Reformed below:
For many, director Paul Schrader is probably best known for writing many of Scorsese’s most revered films including Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Bringing Out The Dead, but he has also been a long-established and accomplished director in his own right. With First Reformed, Schrader directs with consummate control and simplicity, crafting a film that feels classic in its rigor. However, not is all calm as there are undercurrents of uncontrollable emotions which threaten to break apart the film, giving it shades of the filmmaker’s previous work. Travis Bickle anyone?
First Reformed co-stars Michael Gaston, Cedric the Entertainer, and Victoria Hill.
Check out the official poster for the film as well:
First Reformed hits theaters on May 18.
Images: A24
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